Rear wheel bearing noise-how much time?

[Mike R.]

I have some squeeking from my left rear wheel bearings and there is some play back if I try rocking the wheel with the car jacked up.

I plan to do this job myself but would like to wait until Fall/Winter when I wouldn't e driving anyway. Naturally I don't want to get stuck on the road somewhere. How long (more or less) do I have?

Mike

[Michael W.]

Re: Rear wheel bearing noise-how much time?

Probably about minus one or two months. Don't drive it until it's fixed. Do a search on Jerry Fucillo's name for graphic proof of what can happen and how quickly.

Better yet, here's the link:

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...age=2&uid=7927

[Robert G.]

Re: Rear wheel bearing noise-how much time?

You have no time, in my experience. The squeaking means metal on metal contact. The bearing has failed. I destroyed my spindle by driving the car and had to get a replacement which cost more than a hundred dollars. After the squeaking started, I had a few miles before the bearing went out.

[Ronald L.]

Re: Rear wheel bearing noise-how much time?

There is a C3 in a shop close to me with one of these on the hoist now, talk about thousands of dollars of damage...

[Patrick H.]

Re: Rear wheel bearing noise-how much time?

I allowed the owner of the orange 72 I'm working on to drive his car for a day once I finished getting it roadworthy after 17 years in a barn. On that day we discovered just how bad the rear bearings were, and the howl was unbelievable when riding in the car. I gave him the choice of having me trailer it to his home (3 hours away) with someone local to him repairing, or leaving it with me. I would not let him drive it home.

Needless to say, it's in my barn and the trailing arms will be sent off for repair very soon.

The point is, most of these fail catastrophically with no warning. If you're getting warning squeaks it's time to address them before it's too late.

Patrick

[Mike R.]

Re: Rear wheel bearing noise-how much time?

Thanks everybody. It looks like my next post will be to see if anyone wanto to sell the special tools for the job!

I allowed the owner of the orange 72 I'm working on to drive his car for a day once I finished getting it roadworthy after 17 years in a barn. On that day we discovered just how bad the rear bearings were, and the howl was unbelievable when riding in the car. I gave him the choice of having me trailer it to his home (3 hours away) with someone local to him repairing, or leaving it with me. I would not let him drive it home.

Needless to say, it's in my barn and the trailing arms will be sent off for repair very soon.

The point is, most of these fail catastrophically with no warning. If you're getting warning squeaks it's time to address them before it's too late.

Patrick

[Jim T.]

Re: Rear wheel bearing noise-how much time?

Mike money spent to have www.bairs.com rebuild both of your rear trailing arms is money well spent to give you many miles of driving pleasure. Bairs will send you the wooden boxes to send them your trailing arms, all you have to do is remove them. Check out what they replace/repair/change/paint when they do rear trailing arms.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Rear wheel bearing noise-how much time?

Jim is correct - the tools are expensive and this really is not a job you want to "learn on." And, they cost more than having Bairs or Van Steel do it for you. I've worked on or repaired almost everything on an early C3, and I still have no interest in rear bearings given the issues with them.

As much as you may want to redo them, I'd highly recommend shipping them out.

Patrick

[Jim D.]

Re: Rear wheel bearing noise-how much time?

I've never heard a rear wheel bearing squeak. Growl, yes. Every time I've heard a squeak from the rear, it's been a u-joint. You might want to check those first.

[Mike R.]

Re: Rear wheel bearing noise-how much time?

Thanks to everyone who responded. I jacked up the car yesterday and it appears that the only movement is a little at the differential yokes. There is no fore and aft movement. I will check the u joints today. I bought this car last Fall and really don't know how long many of the parts have been in service.